


I'll Stay

by zap4612



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THIS SO RIP ME, ITS THE SAME STORY IF YOU READ IT BEFORE, Jeronica, Jughead Jones Needs a Hug, Veronica Lodge Needs a Hug, Vughead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 07:03:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18773665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zap4612/pseuds/zap4612
Summary: Jughead and Veronica find themselves working together.  Their views of each other will never be the same again.





	I'll Stay

**Author's Note:**

> I accidentally deleted this work so let's pretend I'm not crying. And before you ask "how did you delete it accidentally?" I'm tired beyond belief and wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. If you read it before, I'm just putting it in one chapter and will continue to update. If you haven't read it before, you're in a long read. So yeah...

Riverdale was supposed to be the town with pep, but to a certain raven haired girl, the town couldn’t be any more debilitated. There were so many tragedies. Hal Cooper was the Black Hood, and had killed so many people. Hiram Lodge had turned the Southside into a drug ring. Archie Andrews had been arrested. She anxiously paced the sheriff’s office waiting room floor. The girl was completely lost in thought until she felt hands gently grab her shoulders, forcing her to stand still for a moment. 

“Freaking out isn’t going to help him Veronica.” Jughead said, holding her gaze. 

Veronica seemed to snap out of her own little world and look up at him. She sighed and nodded, sitting down heavily on a hard plastic chair. Betty had gone outside in attempt to call Attorney McCoy, leaving Jughead and Veronica to sit and wait. Archie wasn’t a murder, and they hoped Attorney McCoy could clear him. Veronica crossed her arms, slumping down and tapping foot impatiently. It was a few more minutes before Betty walked back in, plopping down next to Veronica.

“Mrs. McCoy said she’ll be here as soon as she can but she’s not sure how much she can do.” The blonde explained, fidgeting with her phone. 

Veronica only nodded again, laying her head on Betty’s shoulder. 

“He’ll be alright V.” Betty whispered comfortingly. 

Veronica stared straight ahead, wishing her life would be simpler. Wishing this town wasn’t so messed up. Most of all she wished her father had never come to Riverdale. He caused all of this. The three sat in silence until Attorney McCoy’s heels clicked in. They looked up at her eagerly. She promised to do her best, disappearing from view to talk to the sheriff.

“I should probably get home before my mom kills me.” Betty broke the silence, standing up.

“Okay.” Veronica replied. 

She wasn’t leaving until she knew more about Archie. Betty looked towards Jughead, silently asking him if he was coming as well. 

“I’ll stay.” 

Betty nodded, slipping out the door. Jughead felt he shouldn’t leave Veronica alone. 

 

\---

 

Sometime around 12:30 pm, Veronica found herself pacing anxiously again despite Jughead’s earlier comment. Jughead wearily watched her, knowing there was no way he was going to get her to stay still. It was closer to 2 am when Attorney McCoy re-entered the room, looking defeated. Veronica and Jughead looked at her expectantly. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t do anything at the moment. I’m going to need more time, more evidence.” The former mayor explained. 

Jughead watched Veronica’s gaze drop to the ground. 

“Thanks anyway Mrs. McCoy.” He spoke up. 

The lawyer left, leaving Veronica with a sinking feeling in her stomach. 

“Don’t worry just yet Veronica, you heard Mayor McCoy. We just have to find evidence to clear him,” Jughead moved to stand in front of her, “We can start tomorrow, but we should go home and get some rest.” 

 

\---

It was almost 3 am when Veronica got home. She quietly pushed open the door, pulling off her heels in an attempt to be as quiet as possible. She was hoping to avoid her parents, but unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. 

“You are aware what time it is, right Veronica?” Hiram asked coldly. 

She looked at the kitchen table, where her parents were sitting, arms crossed. 

“I’m aware.” Veronica bit back.

She started to walk to her room when they called out to her again. 

“Are you alright Ronnie?” Hermione asked although it didn’t seem like she really meant it.

“Don’t.” Veronica shook her head. 

“Veron-“

“Don’t try and ask me how am I. You know exactly how I am. It’s your fault.”

With that, Veronica stormed to her room. She couldn’t deal with any bullshit her parents were going to say. She tiredly dropped her shoes and jacket on the floor, falling asleep before her head even hit the pillow. 

\---

The next day, Veronica was suddenly awoken by the sound of her phone buzzing on the side table. She groaned, rolling over to grab it. 

“Hello?” She mumbled groggily. 

“Were you seriously still asleep?” Jughead’s voice came through, teasing her.

“It’s a Saturday morning.”

“It’s 3:15, Lodge.”

Veronica quickly pulled her phone away to look at the time. 

“What do you want Jones?” 

“Evidence. To clear Archie. Meet me outside when you’re ready.” 

“Outside where?”

“The Pembrooke obviously.” 

Veronica sat up to look out her window. Sure enough, there was Jughead, leaning on his motorcycle, phone in hand. 

“Give me a minute.” 

\---

A still half asleep Veronica stumbled out of the Pembrooke, pulling her black jacket tighter against the cool breeze. Jughead was shocked by her appearance. It was the first time he’d ever seen her wearing jeans, but of course, they were black and ripped at the knee. Jughead was wearing his usual Serpents jacket and jeans. 

“What’s your plan exactly?” Veronica asked. 

“Head up your place in Shadow Lake, talk to the locals, see what information we can find out.” 

Veronica nodded as Jughead tossed her his helmet. It only then dawned on Veronica, Jughead only had his bike, and Shadow Lake was two hours away. The engine roared to life as Veronica climbed on, pulling the helmet on. 

“You might want to hold on.” He advised calmly. 

Reluctantly, Veronica wrapped her arms around his stomach. Jughead stomped on the gas, his bike jerking forward quickly. That sure woke her up. 

\---

The long drive gave Veronica plenty of time to get lost in her thoughts as the buildings of Riverdale turned into forests and open road. She contemplated her life, her family, her future. But she also enjoyed the wind all around her, white noise in her ears, blowing her hair back. She enjoyed being able to soak up the fresh air and the sun. At a red light, Veronica rubbed her hands together in an attempt to warm them up and mentally cursed herself for not bringing gloves. Jughead pretended not to notice when she put her arms back around him, she also slipped her hands into his pockets. The two arrived at Shadow Lake at around 5:30, Jughead skidding to a stop in front of “Lodge Lodge.” They both hopped off the bike before surveying the cabin uneasily. That weekend had been anything but relaxing, and they hadn’t been back since. There was one memory in particular that made their cheeks turn bright red, which they both chose to ignore. The two slipped inside quietly, using a spare key that was kept under the doormat. The cabin was frigid, as it had no heat on, and the air felt thick. The police had searched the place, leaving some items askew, but other than that, the cabin was tidy. 

“Let’s reenact this for a second.” Jughead said, stepping to where the four friends had been standing when four guys in ski masks had broke in. 

Veronica fell in step next to him. 

“Okay. First we went up to the bedroom, and I hit the silent alarm. We came back downstairs, and when they made a run for it, Archie followed them.” Veronica was talking more to herself than Jughead.

“Which door did he got out?”

Veronica took a second before answering. 

“The back door.”

The unlikely pair went out that way, walking deeper into the woods. 

“Archie said he tackled Cassidy, then Andre told him he’d handle it. When Archie started going back to the cabin, he heard a gunshot.” Jughead finished. 

Suddenly, Veronica stopped in her tracks. She tilted her head, eyes focused on something in front of her.

“What is it?” Jughead asked.

“There’s a bullet hole in that tree. Archie said he only heard one shot, and the bullet was removed from Andre’s body.”

She didn’t have to say anymore, because Jughead knew what she meant. Someone else had come after Cassidy was killed, and tried to make it look they Archie look guilty. A few more steps into the woods revealed footsteps in the dirt and caution tape pulled down from the trees. 

“We should ask some people in town, see if they heard a shot, or saw anyone sneaking around.”

Veronica nodded in agreement.

\---

In town, Jughead and Veronica went into the store Cassidy was working in. The current cashier was a curly haired woman. Veronica went to talk to her. 

“Hi. Do you know the guy who previously worked here, his name was Cassidy?”

The woman took a moment to think.

“I never met him, but I heard what happened to him.”

“Have you recently heard a gunshot?”

Again, she paused, twisting a piece of hair around her finger.

“Now that you say it, yeah, I did.”

“When?” Veronica’s eagerness was growing. 

“About two days ago.” 

“Thank you for your time.” Veronica quickly turned back to Jughead, pushing him out of the store. 

“The cashier said she heard a gunshot two days ago. And two days ago my dad was gone the whole day with one of his business partner on a “business trip.” She put air quotes around the last two words. 

“Okay. We should head back to Riverdale before it gets to dark, and see if you can figure out where your dad went.”

Veronica felt no shame about agreeing to see where her dad was. He didn’t deserve her feeling guilty. The two climbed back onto Jughead’s motorcycle, thoughts swirling like snowflakes in their minds.

\---

At some point during the ride home, Veronica had resumed putting her hands in his pockets, the air getting much colder as the sky got darker. She shivered despite herself. Jughead must have felt it, but there wasn’t much he could do for her. He then decided to pull into a small roadside diner to get dinner and warm up. Veronica gave him a questioning look, but then traded it for a look of understanding. They took a small booth in the corner, Veronica still shivering. She wrapped her arms around herself. Jughead noticed and quickly shrugged off his Serpents jacket. She had started to reject it, saying he’d be cold, but he was very adamant she have it. A waitress took their orders, leaving as quickly as she came. Veronica put her hands on her coffee cup so her fingers would warm up. 

“Do you know if your dad is working with Sheriff Minetta?” Jughead asked suddenly. 

Veronica nodded.

“I’m almost positive he is. But Jughead, I think we’re looking at this from the wrong angle.”

He tilted his head, prompting her to continue. 

“We’re trying to find evidence that clears Archie, but we should be looking for who actually killed Cassidy.” 

Jughead nodded his understanding. The waitress placed down their food. The rest of the time was silent, but not uncomfortable. They were both just lost in thought. 

\---

It was close to 1am when Jughead pulled in front of the Pembrooke. Veronica pulled off her helmet, shaking her hair free. It ended up falling messily over her shoulders. Jughead placed the helmet on the seat next to him. In a split second decision, Veronica threw her arms around Jughead’s neck. He momentarily froze, taking a second to reciprocate the hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist slowly. 

“Thank you Jughead.” She said softly. 

She didn’t know what on Earth possessed her to hug him, but it just felt right. 

“For what?” He asked as they pulled away from each other.

Veronica stumbled to make a sentence. 

“For… for helping me and stuff.” She mumbled.

“Anytime.” He replied. 

With that, she slipped into the Pembrooke, leaving Jughead to watch the door close and grin to himself. 

\---

Veronica quietly crept through the high-class apartment. 

“Veronica…”

She whipped around. Her father was sitting at the table, papers scattered around him. 

“Daddy.” She answered tersely. 

“What the hell are you wearing?!” He asked loudly.

It took Veronica a good thirty seconds to look down at herself and then figure out what her father was referring too. She hadn’t gave Jughead his jacket back. It was still around her shoulders. She struggled to come up with a good explanation.

“I was at Pop’s with Jughead, Betty and Archie. I got cold and borrowed it from Jughead.” Veronica attempted to keep her voice steady and neutral. 

Her father didn’t seem convinced, eyeing her suspiciously. He then sighed and dropped the subject. She raced to her room. Veronica dropped onto her bed, pulling out her phone. 

Veronica: How could u let me walk inside with ur jacket?!

It was a few minutes before Jughead answered. 

Jughead: Oh shit… 

Veronica: Oh shit is right, he’s so onto me

\---

The next morning, Betty had invited Jughead to Pop’s for breakfast. As soon as he walked into the small diner, he saw a blonde ponytail in a booth. He slid in across from her. 

“Hey.” He greeted casually. 

“Hey Jug,” She smiled brightly, “Any news on Archie?”

Jughead shook his head, which caused Betty’s smile to fade. He had yet to tell Betty he and Veronica had went up to Shadow Lake, and he didn’t feel he could. She reached out to grab his hand across the table.

 

Veronica’s morning was anything but pleasant. Her parents attempted to grill her further about her whereabouts yesterday and about the Serpent's jacket at breakfast. She slumped down in her chair, pushing around the food on her plate with her fork.

“You’re really not going to tell us anything Veronica?” Hiram sighed.

Veronica shook her head, remaining silent. Once her parents left for some business meeting, she quickly pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Jughead. 

Veronica: Hey

\---

 

Jughead’s phone buzzed twice, breaking him out of his chat with Betty.

Jughead: Hey

Veronica: Is there any way we could keep working on the case? I don’t want to be at the Pembrooke and I need something to think about. 

Something about the desperation of the text made Jughead soften. 

Jughead: I’ll swing by and pick u up in say half an hour?

\---

As promised, half an hour later Jughead pulled up in front of the Pembrooke. Veronica was sitting on the stairs, as if she couldn’t bare sitting inside any longer. What appeared to be his jacket was next to her. When she saw him, she stood up quickly. 

“What’s up Veronica Mars?” He teased.

“If I’m Veronica, does that make you Logan?” She called back.

“I’ve always thought of myself more as Wallace.” He smiled. 

Veronica handed him back his jacket, awkwardly. He pulled it on. 

“So any new thoughts?” Veronica asked, leaning against Jughead’s bike next to him.

“One. We need to get that police file. That information could be the key to what we’re missing.”

“And how do you plan on getting those exactly?” She tilted her head.

“I have a plan. But you better be a really good actress.”

\---

“You sure this is going to work?”

The plan seemed simple, but the execution would have to be perfect. Riverdale was having a small festival that Sheriff Minetta would be attending, as he didn’t want another “Black Hood incident.” Veronica was to cause a distraction so Jughead could grab Minetta’s keys and go over to the police station. It was simple. 

“Trust me Veronica.”

Sheriff Minetta was standing towards the edge of the crowd. Jughead gave Veronica a small nod as she casually stood next to Minetta. She started to cough until Minetta stared at her.

“Are you okay Miss Lodge?”

She gave another small cough before answering. 

“Fine.” She choked out.

Jughead caught her gaze for a brief moment before looking away again. Veronica kept up the coughing before suddenly dropping to her knees. She doubled over like she couldn’t breathe, which was enough to distract Sheriff Minetta. A small crowd stared at them. The Sheriff and Jughead kneeled down next to her while Veronica kept the act up, gasping like she couldn’t catch her breathe. Jughead took a quick look at the keys on Minetta’s belt, trying to figure out the best way to get them. 

“Sheriff can you get some water or something please.” Jughead asked desperately.

The second Minetta stood up, Jughead quickly snatched the keys and slipped them into his pocket. Much to Jughead’s relief, he didn’t notice. Veronica let Jughead pull her upper body into his lap, as if he hadn’t just stolen keys. She played along, taking a sip of water from the bottle Minetta had brought back. 

“Let’s get you say home Veronica.” Jughead said, standing up and pulling her up with him.

She nodded, letting him lead her out of the crowd. She made it a point to lean on him as they got out of sight. Once the two were out of earshot, Veronica dissolved into laughter. 

“That was way to easy.”

“It was your acting skills that really sold it. Should I take you to Hollywood right now?”

\---

Phase two of the plan was much easier. Sneaking into Minetta’s office was easy as cake. The next day, Jughead lurked outside the station until Minetta left his office for lunch, and slipped in. He unlocked a grey file cabinet, sifting through files until he found the one he was looking for. The last thing he did was leave the keys under his desk, making it look like Sheriff Minetta had simply dropped them. Jughead shoved the file into his coat. He made his way to the back of the building in the parking lot, where Veronica stood. He pulled the file out and handed it to her. 

“Let’s go to the trailer and look through this.”

Veronica nodded, climbing onto the back of his bike like she’d been doing it all her life. But to be honest, Jughead was pretty used to her arms around him and felt odd riding alone. They pulled into the trailer park slowly. Jughead’s trailer was the same as it had always been. Slightly messy but cozy. Veronica started to spread the papers from the file out on the coffee table when two photos caught her eye.

“These two photos were taken just a day apart,” She laid the two of them side by side, “and in this photo, there’s no bullet hole in that tree, but in the next photo there is.”

Jughead leaned down to take a closer look. 

“So we have our time frame.”

“Yeah. May 5th to 6th.”

The rest of the time was spent looking over the police photos and files, taping things to the wall in an attempt to create a timeline, and drinking lots of coffee. It grew close to midnight before the unlikely pair fell back onto the couch, both exhausted. They’d be able to figure out that the bullet in the tree was .22 caliber. All police in Riverdale carried 22’s. The other thing they’d noticed in one of the photos was what appeared to be a watch on the ground, but in the next photo, it was gone. 

“We can try and find out who that watch belonged to.” Jughead suggested. 

Veronica nodded, resting her head on the well-worn couch and closing her eyes. Right now was one of the times she really wished her life could be simple and normal. She should have been hanging out with her friends, shipping milkshakes, but instead, she was trying to figure out a murder.

“Do you ever wish you’d left Riverdale?” Veronica asked suddenly, eyes still closed. 

“Sometimes,” He replied softly, “Do you ever wish you’d stayed in New York?”

“Sometimes.”

Jughead stared at her for a moment, as if he was seeing her for the very first time. And maybe he was. He’d never seen her as more than the new rich girl in town. But now he was starting to understand what her world was really like. He suddenly felt sorry for some of the things he’d said to her. His mouth was going before his brain could process. 

“I’m sorry.”

Veronica opened her eyes. 

“For what?”

“I’ve said some things to you I’m starting to regret.”

She gave a soft laugh. 

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I just feel bad about it-”

“Jughead,” She reached out to put her hand over his, “Trust me. I’m over it.”

Jughead’s gaze quickly moved to their hands, which caused heat to instantly rise in Veronica's cheeks. She slowly started to pull her hand back but stopped when Jughead caught her wrist. What felt like an electric shock radiated through her body. Maybe she was imagining it, but she could almost swear Jughead started to lean closer. Her dark eyes met his blue-green ones. They both knew they shouldn't, and almost as if they had telepathy, they both turned away. Blush spread across Veronica’s cheeks like a wildfire. Jughead was grateful his hat covered his burning ears. Veronica sank back against the couch, throwing her feet up. 

\---

FP Jones stumbled into the trailer after his shift at Pop’s, who had rehired him. The sight he was met with was quite unusual. He would have never in a million years expected to see Veronica Lodge fast asleep on the couch with her feet in his son’s lap. Her heels looked like they’d been kicked off, as they lay askew on the ground. 

“Jug, should I be questioning this?” FP gestured to Veronica, then the papers on the coffee table and the timeline on the wall.

“I could explain that,” He nodded at the investigation papers, “But I honestly have no idea how this happened.” He nodded at Veronica. 

One minute they were talking about the case and the next she trailed off and her breathing evened out. FP decided not to even question it and instead, he waved a good night before retreating to the small bedroom. Jughead took a moment to study Veronica’s peaceful expression and the way one hand rested on her stomach. Something about her sleeping innocence made a swell of affection rise in his chest. He knew there was no way he was going to wake her up now, so he threw his feet up on the edge of the coffee table and positioned a pillow beneath his head.

\---

Veronica woke up feeling warm and cozy. She had no intention of opening her eyes until she realized something. She wasn’t in her bed. She wasn’t even in the Pembrooke. She sat up quickly. 

“Morning ‘Ronica.” Jughead said lazily. 

He had his head propped up on his hand. Veronica almost choked on air. What time was it? Better question, how had she ended up half across his lap?

“What time is it?”

Jughead glanced at his phone before answering.

“9:34.”

Veronica could feel her cheeks starting to burn as she slid her legs off Jughead. 

“I’m so sorry Jughead.” 

He tilted his head.

“For what exactly?”

“Uh… for the fact that I just slept on you for nine and half hours?” It came out as more a question than a statement. 

She hadn’t been sleeping well at home, which was probably why she passed out. He simply shrugged in response.

“Didn’t bother me.”

Veronica found his attitude maddeningly calm. A few weeks ago he hated her, but now he was acting like they’d known each other forever. That’s when FP walked out of the bedroom.

“Sleep alright Veronica?” He asked warmly. 

His question definitely caught her off guard. Didn’t he hate the Lodges? His kindness towards her was confusing. Both of the Jones seemed oddly okay with her. She was honestly starting to wonder if she’d somehow fallen into an alternate universe. 

“Fine thanks.” Veronica answered slowly. 

She awkwardly picked up her heels and phone. She had four missed calls from her parents.

“I should probably get going.” 

Veronica stood up and nodded her goodbye. It must have been quite a sight for other trailer park residents to see Veronica Lodge practically stumble out of the Jones’ trailer, shoes in one hand and phone in the other. 

\---

Veronica didn’t particularly want to go to the Pembrooke because she knew her parents would reign hell on her, but she put on a brave face as she pushed the door open.

“Veronica!” Hermione exclaimed.

Veronica didn’t say anything in response. 

“Where have you been?” Hiram asked in a calm manner.

“I fell asleep at Betty’s.” The lie came easily. 

“We were worried!” Hermione said.

Veronica couldn’t help but give a small laugh at that. Bullshit. They weren’t worried. They just didn’t want her making a bad image for the Lodge family, as her mother was now the mayor. They didn’t want her messing up any of their business plans. Hiram stood up abruptly.

“Is there something you want to say to us Veronica?” Hiram asked coldy.

“Yeah,” Veronica took a step closer and glare at him, “Yeah, I do. Here’s what I think. Everything you say and do is bullshit.” Veronica seethed, emphasizing her last word. 

“Is that what you think Veronica?! I’m just doing everything for no reason?!” Hiram shot back.

“Well I don’t see a very good reason for it!”

“There’s a reas-”

“Bullshit! I’m not going to stay here while you tear Riverdale apart!” She interrupted. 

Veronica stormed back out through the front door. She couldn’t sit and watch her father tear apart the place she’d been calling home. 

\---

FP sat back in his chair, smirking at Jughead as he sipped his cup of coffee. Jughead raised an eyebrow at him.

“What?” Jughead asked, annoyed. 

“So…. Veronica, huh?”

Jughead nearly choked on his coffee.

“It’s really not what you think, like at all.”

It was then his phone started ringing, which gave him an excuse to leave the table. He stepped outside to take the call, surprised to see “Veronica” pop up, considering she’d just left 30 minutes ago. 

“What’s up?”

“H-hey. Is there any way you could come pick me up?” She spoke softly and slowly, but it wasn’t enough to hide the slight tremble in her voice. 

Jughead’s head was instantly spinning. 

“If you can’t, it’s totally fine.” She added. 

“No, I’m leaving now.”

He hung up and without even bothering to grab his helmet, jumped on the back of his bike. The air was filled with the sound of tires screeching as he sped out of the trailer park and towards the Northside. 

\---

Jughead skidded to a stop in front of the Pembrooke. His heart immediately fell at the sight of Veronica. She was once again sitting on the front steps like she couldn’t bear to spend another moment inside. But what really got to him was the way she had her knees curled to her chest and her cheeks were tear stained. Jughead had to started to sit down next to her when she stood up. 

“Can we just get out of here?” She pleaded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

He nodded and then a thought popped into his mind.

“Let me show you something.”

She tilted her head, but still climbed onto his bike. Sometime during the ride, Jughead noticed a black car that was behind them for awhile, but dismissed it. He must have been to paranoid. Jughead pulled into a small turnoff that was right between the Northside and Southside. There was a small path in the woods that Jughead lead her down that opened into a grassy ledge that overlooked Sweetwater River. The sound of the waves filled the hushed night. The moon was overhead, casting a silver glow over the land. It was a stunning view that had Veronica mesmerized.

“I used to come up here a lot with Jellybean.” Jughead said, but didn’t once look in her direction. 

There was a moment of silence before Veronica thought of something to say. 

“I bet Betty must love this place.” She also never looked towards him.

“She’s never been here actually.”

That was enough to get Veronica to turn her head to look at him. He finally met her gaze.

“Oh.” She couldn’t think of anything better to say. 

Jughead sank down onto the grass, pulling Veronica down with him. They both let their legs dangle off the edge of the cliff. She wiped her eyes again, sighing softly.

“Wanna talk?” He asked quietly. 

She sighed again, curling her legs back up to her chest.

“Sometimes I wish my father was still in prison. All his coming has done is tear Riverdale to pieces,” Her voice wavered, “and someone tried to kill me and my mom the other day over blood with my dad. I’m always paranoid now and have to fear being murdered in my sleep over some vendetta against him. I-I can’t do this anymore, I can’t stand by him.” She finished softly, tears spilling down her cheek. 

As hard as she’d tried to push that out of her mind, it inevitably came back to haunt her. She could still hear the gunshots and she remembered how numb she’d felt afterward. A shiver ran down her spine involuntarily. Jughead stared at her and then suddenly pulled her into a tight hug that she didn’t object to. 

“I’m so sorry Veronica.” Jughead whispered into her hair.

“It’s not your fault.”

“No, but no one should have to go through that.”

Veronica buried her head against his chest, seeking comfort. Her body shuddered with sobs as everything she’d been keeping bottled up was let out. All Jughead could do was pull her closer until there was literally no space left between them and whisper comforting words. It was a few minutes before her sobs died down and turned into quiet sniffling. She took a shaky breath before pulling back slightly. Jughead was instantaneously overwhelmed. Even in her messy state, cheeks stained with tears and mascara, eyes glassy and red she looked stunning to him. Jughead put his hand under her chin, gently forcing her to look up until their eyes met. They both started trailing forward subconsciously until they were two inches apart. The proximity had their hearts racing as they leaned yet closer. Veronica curled her fingers around the lapel of his jacket, pulling him down until their lips met softly. The world around them faded out as they fell into the moment. They were suddenly ripped from each other’s grasps. Two men dressed in black from head to toe grabbed them, pulling them backwards. 

“Let go of me!” Veronica cried, trying to squirm her way out of his grasp. 

Jughead fought the man who was holding him, trying to reach Veronica’s outstretched arms. A third man stepped out of the shadows and into the light. Unlike the other two, he didn’t wear a mask. He had dark hair and cold eyes, scars patterned across his jaw. He pulled out a gun, which caused the dread in Veronica and Jugheads stomachs to grow. The dark haired man walked up to Veronica first. 

“Don’t touch her you bastard.” Jughead spat. 

Before Jughead could process what was happening, the man swung his arm back and then forward. The gun collided with Veronica’s forehead, which was enough to knock her out. Jughead struggled to free himself as he was given the same treatment. 

\---

Veronica woke up to what felt like the worst hangover in history. Her head pounded as she pushed herself up. Under her was cold cement. The room she was in was all cement, the door made of what looked like heavy metal. There was a tiny window that was out of reach and a single light bulb was mounted on the ceiling.

“Finally, you’re awake.”

Veronica whipped around. Jughead sat against the wall. One side of his forehead was bruised. Her mind was in overdrive. She stood up, pacing the small room. Jughead could practically see the gears in her head turning.

“Obviously my dad hired someone to kidnap us, meaning we’re onto something in Archie’s case.”

That comment made Jughead bristle. What kind of father hires someone to kidnap their own daughter? Veronica gave up pacing and sank down next to Jughead.

“Sorry for getting you into this mess.” She apologized softly.

He shook his head.

“It’s not your fault. You don’t have to feel responsible for your father's actions.”

The raven-haired girl remained silent. What the hell were they going to do now?

“We need a plan.” Veronica looked up at the window.

Jughead followed her gaze, surveying its height. Neither of them was tall enough to reach it, but suddenly he had an idea. He pulled off his Serpents jacket and stood up. 

Veronica looked up at him questioningly when he handed her his jacket.

“Stand on my shoulders. Wrap my jacket around your hand and punch the glass.”

“You honestly think I can punch through glass whilst being precariously balanced on your shoulders?”

“I’ve seen you knock out Reggie Mantle. Besides, it not like we have any other means of escape.”

Veronica debated the idea for a second.

“I’ll try I guess.”

Jughead kneeled down, helping her climb onto his shoulders. She used the wall to steady herself as she stood up. She then wrapped his jacket around one hand and gripped the window sill with the other. Jughead stood up as straight as possible, trying to give her as much height as he could.

“Here it goes.” She muttered, swinging her arm back.

She swung her fist forward, connecting with the glass. It made a thudding sound but didn’t give away. A second blow had her knuckles aching but had put a small crack in the glass. She looked down at Jughead.

“Just try one more time.” He begged, shifting from foot to foot.

Veronica grit her teeth before throwing one last punch. The glass shattered with a loud crack. The raven-haired girl cleared away some of the broken glass before laying Jughead’s jacket down over the bottom of the window.

“How are you going to get out?” Veronica asked.

“I’m not. You can. Get help and come back for me.”

Veronica frowned slightly.

“I don’t want to leave you here.”

“Veronica, you have to.”

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard approaching.

“Veronica, go!” Urgency laced through Jughead’s voice.

Veronica hoisted herself up and through the window. She landed with a loud thud and mumbling curses. She scrambled to her feet, letting out a small cry of pain. She’d landed on her ankle wrong, sending shooting pain through it.

“I promise I’ll be back Jughead!” Veronica yelled before taking off into the dark night, limping slightly.

\---

Jughead pressed flush against the wall as the door was pushed open. The man with the scars looked up at the broken window and then at Jughead.

“One of them escaped! Find her!” He ordered two other guys.

They took off running. The remaining kidnapper grabbed Jughead, dragging him away.

\---

Veronica ran as fast as her legs could carry her, trying to put as much distance between her and her captors as possible. She raced through dark woods, trying to find any sign of civilization. Branches and thorns cut her arms and legs and snagged her hair. Rocks and sticks made her path uneven and made her ankle throb even more. Shouts could be heard in the distance. Veronica decided she couldn’t go to the police, because she was positive Sheriff Minetta was under her dad’s thumb. The shouting continued, pushing Veronica forward to the best place she could think of to go.

\---

Jughead was thrown into a chair, hands tied behind his back.

“What do you know about the murder of Cassidy Bullock?”

Jughead looked up. He chose to remain silent. The man took a step forward.

“I asked… what… do… you… know?!”

His fist collided with Jughead’s face, sending Jughead into a world of pain.

\---

Tears blurred Veronica’s vision, but she forced herself to keep running until she came upon a road. She collapsed to her knees, trying to figure out where she was. She looked around until she saw a sign pointing towards Greendale, meaning she was on the edge of Riverdale. The raven-haired girl dragged herself back to her feet, quickly making her way to a familiar house. She knocked furiously on the door, praying someone was home. None other than Kevin Keller pulled open the door, mouth falling open at the sight of Veronica. Her hair was tangled, there was a bruise on her forehead, her arms and legs were cut up, her clothes were filthy, her ankle had become swollen and turned purple and red and she was breathing so heavily she could barely talk. What appeared to be Jughead’s Serpents jacket was in her hands.

“What the hell happened to you?!” Kevin exclaimed, shocked.

Kevin’s dad came down the stairs to see what the commotion was. He stopped short when he saw Veronica.

“J- Jughead and I were t-trying to figure out… who killed Cassidy t-to get Archie o-out of jail and someone kidnapped u-us. They k-kept us in some building somewhere… around the border of R- Riverdale, and Greendale.” She explained through choking breaths.

“Why didn’t you go to the police?” The former sheriff asked.

“B-Because my dad i-is working with Minetta, and I-I’m positive he has s-something to do w-with this and--”

A heaved breath left Veronica’s lips and her eyes fluttered close before she fell forward. Kevin, reacting quickly, caught her before she could hit the ground. He looked up at his dad, having an unspoken conversation.

\---

When Veronica came to, she became aware that someone was brushing her hair off her forehead gently. She opened her eyes, a blonde figure coming into view.

“Betty?” Veronica asked breathlessly.  
Veronica’s head was resting in the blonde’s lap and her ankle had been wrapped up in a bandage. Jughead’s jacket was in a heap on the coffee table.

“Veronica. How are you feeling?”

“Fine. What happened?”

Veronica started to sit up, but Betty softly stopped her by putting her hand on the raven-haired girl’s shoulder.

“You really need to rest, V. You passed out from exhaustion. Kevin called me and asked me to stay with you. He and his dad went to try and find Jughead.” Betty explained.

Veronica again started to sit up, despite Betty’s protest.

“You shouldn’t be so nice to me right now.”

Veronica had to fight the urge to fall right back down and sleep off her pounding headache and fatigue.

“What do you mean, V?”

“You're being too nice to me when I did something… really, really wrong.”

Betty tilted her head questioningly. Veronica let out a deep breath.

“I-- I kissed Jughead. And it wasn’t like that time in the hot tub.”

Betty paused. Suddenly, the blonde’s phone started ringing, interrupting the tense moment. She glanced at Veronica and answered. Veronica couldn’t hear the conversation. Betty hung up.

“They found Jughead.”

“Then we have to go!” Veronica jumped up, landing unsteadily on her feet.

There was no way in hell she was going to sit still until she was able to see Jughead and make sure he was okay.

“Your ankle, Veronica, you really should rest.”

“I’ll rest afterward.” Veronica claimed, pulling Betty up.

Once again despite Betty’s protests, they went to where Kevin said they’d found Jughead.

\---

Betty drove to the edge of Riverdale, stopping short at a police barricade. The two stepped out of the car. Police lights lit up the area, cars, and people scattered everywhere.

“Betty! Veronica!” Kevin called, gesturing for them to come over.

Kevin was leaning against the bumper of his dad’s car. Veronica looked around at the police.

“Greendale police?” She wondered aloud.

“You said your dad had an in with the Riverdale police, so we figured calling Greendale officers would be better.”

Two Greendale officers came out through the woods, a third figuring stumbling behind them.

“Jughead!” Betty took a few running steps forward towards him.

Jughead looked up, meeting Betty halfway. Veronica hung back a few steps. Jughead quickly pressed a soft kiss to the blonde’s forehead before reaching out for Veronica. He pulled her into a tight hug. She sighed softly, burying her head against his chest. He rubbed slow circles on her back, which caused her to tighten her arms around his waist. They stood that way for a long time, relishing each other’s embrace. A magnetic force seemed to be keeping them together, frozen in place. Jughead suddenly pulled back enough to cup her face. Before Veronica could utter a word, he brought his lips to hers, kissing her softly. Everything around Veronica faded to grey except for Jughead’s warmth and the sensation of his lips. When Jughead pulled back, Veronica almost trailed after him. She stopped herself when she saw Betty and Kevin gaping at them. Wordlessly, Betty got back in her car. Veronica went to follow her but Jughead gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

“Jug-“

“Let her cool off, Ronnie. We’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

Veronica watched rigidly as Betty drove away. Jughead pulled her into a side hug.

“Excuse me?”

The two turned around. One Greendale officer stood in front of them. He looked younger than the rest, with blue eyes and light brown hair.

“Can I just ask you some questions?”

They nodded. They sat down on the back of the ambulance, Veronica’s feet just barely reaching the ground. A paramedic asked if it was okay if she examined Veronica’s ankle and the bruise blossoming on Jughead’s cheek while they talked. The Greendale officer agreed.

“I’m Charlie by the way.” The police officer introduced himself.

The paramedic checked Jughead for any spots he might be internally bleeding.

“Do you have any idea why you were kidnapped?” Charlie asked.

What a loaded question that was.

“It’s a really long story actually. My… “ Veronica faltered.

The word boyfriend didn’t seem right.

“My friend, Archie, got arrested for a murder he didn’t commit. But he was set up by my father, so we’ve been trying to find evidence to clear him.”

The paramedic deemed Jughead healthy, so he picked up the story as Veronica was taken into the ambulance.

“I guess we stumbled onto something we weren’t supposed to, so we were trailed and kidnapped.”

Charlie blinked a few times, shocked.

“So you’re saying you think her father is behind all of this?”

Jughead looked at Veronica. She nodded. She wasn't going to defend her father any longer. She didn’t care what happened to him.

“Your ankle’s just sprained. Just try to stay off it and use ice to bring the swelling down.”

Veronica nodded thanks to the paramedic before sliding down from the ambulance. Wordlessly, Jughead caught her waist and placed her lightly on the ground. The three guys that had kidnapped them we pushed into the back of a police cruiser. Veronica watched, the slightest bit of anger flashing in her eyes, mixed with hurt.

“Come crash with me tonight.” Jughead said, more of a statement than a question.

“I don’t want to be in your hair.”

“There is no way in hell I’m letting you go back to that apartment with that bastard.”

“I’ll just get a hotel room or something.”

“Hate to break it to you, but you don’t have your credit card or your phone.”

Veronica paused, suddenly aware she didn’t know the location of either those items.

“You don’t have your phone either, Jones. Or your bike. How do you plan on getting home exactly?”

“Excuse me?”

It was Charlie again. He pulled something from an evidence bag. Jughead’s phone.

“One of the guys had it, but sorry, we didn’t find another phone.”

Jughead gratefully took it while Veronica dismissed his apology.

“Who’s phone-less now, Lodge?” He smirked.

Veronica rolled her eyes playfully while Jughead called his dad. He explained the whole situation, asking FP to come get him and Veronica. The raven-haired girl could practically FP’s shock over the phone.

\---

Half an hour later, FP pulled up in his truck. He stepped out as Jughead and Veronica came up to him.

“Jesus Christ, you two look like shit.”

Veronica chuckled softly.

“You guys can crash in the back. I’ll wake you up when we’re home.” FP climbed back into the truck.

Jughead and Veronica jumped into the back. Veronica, her polite nature coming through, thanked FP and made an effort to stay awake.

“You don’t have to be formal with us, Veronica.” FP glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

She nodded. It just felt weird that both the Jones’s were trying to look after her. Jughead patted his lap as an invite. Deciding she was too exhausted to keep up her polite manner, she softly laid her head on his lap. With one hand, FP shrugged off his denim jacket and gave it to Jughead. He used it as a blanket, draping it across Veronica. At that point, she couldn’t even muster up a protest. A solid thirty seconds later, Veronica had fallen sound asleep. Jughead turned to his jumbled up thoughts. He looked down at Veronica. She didn’t belong in this world. She didn’t belong in a world of murder and lies and especially not a world where her own father hired someone to kidnap her. Jughead’s anger level rose at the thought of Hiram Lodge. What kind of bastard would do this to his own daughter? His thoughts turned back to the girl currently sleeping blissfully in his lap. He shifted slightly, bringing his hand up, absentmindedly playing with her ends of her hair. It was another peaceful twenty minutes before FP pulled up to the Jones’s trailer.

“You really have a soft spot for her, eh Jug?” FP teased, turning around to look at him.

“And you don’t?” Jughead teased back.

It was true though. They were both developing a soft spot for the raven-haired princess. Veronica shifted slightly, nuzzling into Jughead. Her hair fell over her eyes, causing a swell of affection to rise in Jughead’s chest. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“We’re home, Ronnie.”

She sighed quietly, pushing herself up. She looked up at Jughead in a half-asleep haze before sliding off of him and onto her feet. FP’s jacket hung loosely from her shoulders. Her hair was tangled into a messy halo. She and Jughead shuffled into the trailer, followed by FP.

“You kids can take the bed. I’ll take the pullout. “

“Thank you, Mr. Jones.” Veronica mumbled tiredly.

She then shrugged off his jacket, handing it back to him sheepishly. He took it with a soft smile before bidding them a good night. Jughead and Veronica climbed into bed, kicking off their shoes. Veronica was too tired to protest Jughead pulling up the blanket to her shoulders. She closed her eyes, letting herself sink into her pillow. Jughead wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to his chest. Veronica was suddenly hit by the weirdness of being cuddled up to Jughead, considering their past events. But at that moment, she didn’t want to question it. She let her exhaustion overcome her, falling into a deep sleep.

\---

FP woke up sometime around noon. He poked his head into the bedroom. To his amusement, they were both passed out cold, Veronica wrapped up in Jughead’s arms. Although he didn’t blame them considering what they’d been through. FP quietly left the room. For now, they were two kids who had innocently fallen asleep together. They weren't tangled up in a murder and they weren't kidnap victims. For now, they were just each other's safe space.


End file.
